A Life Worth Saving
by lilrenthefox
Summary: An insert into the anime that I would have liked to have seen, when Ichigo fights Ulquiorra and stabs Ishida time seems to stop and the world gets put on hold. Can they save the Quincy or will his death fuel Ichigo to defeat Aizen? warnings: violence/angst/gore/cursing/sexual themes (including yaoi, read more inside for details) this is rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

This is going to be a shorter fic and is meant to add to the anime, not replace it or change a lot of the storyline. There will be some changes but I'd like to stick with the original idea. This fic will include all the characters from the series and may have the following:  
violence, gore, sex (including yaoi but it will be in separate chapters for those who don't like it), cursing, angst, possible character death but that's the suspenseful part so I can't give it away.

If any of this offends you please go on to read another piece of fiction on this site as there are many wonderful authors here, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 1

"That's enough, Ichigo," Ishida grabbed Ichigo's wrist," You won't be human anymore if you carve up his corpse," Ichigo's face was expressionless with the mask covering it," Kurosaki can you hear me?" Ichigo started forcing his blade towards Ulquiorra's chest," Kurosaki I said that's…." Ichigo pulled his hand up, catching Ishida off balance and flung his sword into his friend.

Ishida wasn't sure what had happened at first, he thought Ichigo had struck him with the back of his hand. He hit the ground and rolled to his side, it was then he saw the zanpacto buried in his stomach millimeters from his chest. He coughed and struggled to catch his breath, an incredible spirit pressure rose around him and blinded him. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on breathing. in. out. in. out,' Steady, even, don't rush it, don't think about the sword in your gut,' his thoughts jumbled as the spiritual pressure whirled and spiraled around him.

Then there was silence, he couldn't see what had happened and didn't dare move. He barely felt the hand on his shoulder,' I'm going into shock,' he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

"Did I…?" Ichigo's voice sounded far away.

"Hold on Uryuu," Orihime's shield glowed over him.

'That would explain why I can't hear them very well,' the Quincy struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Uryuu…" Ichigo's mouth formed his name, but the sound was too soft for him to hear, the Shinigami's hand was in his squeezing it.

"K-Kuro…" he tried to answer him and choked, his mouth coated in a thick liquid and he felt sick. Blood stained his teeth and spattered on his lips, Ichigo was screaming his name. Ishida wanted to answer him, wanted to sit up and tell him everything was all right and he wasn't hurt badly. The edges of his vision blurred and went black, the last thing he saw before his eyes closed was Ichigo's tear-streaked face.

He heard the voices around him before his eyes opened, strained and worried. He blinked his eyes open slowly," Uryuu," Ichigo breathed," Urahara he's awake," his vision started to clear, Ichigo's face was right next to his.

"I've called your father, he should be here any minute," Kisuke's voice came from across the room.

"Kuro-saki," blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, he was on his side and it dripped onto the linens below with small *plink* *plink* sounds.

"Uryuu, I'm sorry," the words felt empty," I was unconscious and…I didn't know it was you and…" tears dripped onto the Quincy's chest.

"N-no," Ishida groaned as his muscles protested," not your…f-f…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, next to Ichigo's head he saw the hilt of the sword and realized it was still impaled somewhere in his stomach. His eyes widened and he tried to look down to see exactly where it was lodged.

Ichigo tilted his chin back," Lay still," Ichigo dabbed at his forehead with something soft and cool," I never got to tell you."

"K-Ku…" Ishida now knew why it was difficult to speak,' The blade is either in my lung or my diaphragm,' the thought was chilling and he wanted the offending invader out of him.

"Please," Ichigo stopped him," I don't want you….I have to tell you this in case," Ichigo choked and stumbled over his words, he wiped his face on his robe.

'He hasn't even bothered to get out of his Shinigami form,' Ishida tried to focus on something other than the growing panic welling in him,' Why doesn't this hurt?' the next thought gave him mixed emotions,' I'm dying,' surprising to him he wasn't angry, he wasn't afraid, he wasn't alone,' He's trying to say goodbye,' the corner of his mouth turned up into a small smile.

"Uryuu," Ichigo was patting his face, trying to keep him awake," I've always wanted to tell you that…"

"Kisuke?!" Isshin shouted, a door slamming behind him.

"In here!" Kisuke called back.

The door flew open," Shit," he cursed as he saw the boy on the table with a sword almost as long as him protruding from his body. He washed his hands," What do you have him on?"

"I don't know as much as you, Isshin," Kisuke grabbed a clipboard," I started a central line and gave him some sedatives to keep him calm and fluids."

"Good job," Isshin gently moved Ichigo out of the way," you didn't even blow a vein," he checked the line and pushed a few buttons on an IV pole that Ishida hadn't noticed was there," Uryuu?" he commanded the boy's attention," Can you hear me, son?" Ishida managed a small nod," I'm Isshin, Ichigo's father, you're going to get really dizzy and sleepy in a few seconds I don't want you fighting it."

Ichigo felt nauseous, he knew Urahara and his father would be pulling his Zanpacto out of Ishida in a few minutes. The room spun and Orihim had to help him sit down or he was sure he'd pass out, he was still crying and didn't care who saw him," Your sisters are fine now that they know you're not hurt," she was talking to him, her voice hoarse from the tears. He put his hands on either side of his head and pulled at his hair,' I didn't get to tell him…' the thought replayed in his head,' He could die and he'll never know,' he leaned into Orihime and sobbed.

His thought were interrupted as a scream tore from Ishida, it was short and followed by moans that made Ichigo's stomach turn. His sword clattered to the ground near his feet, slicked with blood that dripped from the tip. He didn't want to leave Ishida, he wanted to stay and reassure him, Orihime was helping him up, he barely made it to the bathroom in the hallway before vomiting.

Orihime held him as his body convulsed, heaving up whatever he had in his stomach,' It wasn't supposed to end like this,' he trembled in her arms when the dry heaves finally stopped.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she whispered in his ear.

"Inoue, I didn't…" she pulled a towel off the counter and wiped his face and mouth.

"I know Kurosaki-kun," she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Shouldn't the sedatives have put him out?" Kisuke was doing his best to help Isshin.

"Should have, but he's in shock," Isshin's forehead beaded with sweat as he worked.

"Will he live?" Urahara didn't want the answer to his question.

"I don't know," he was nothing if not honest," there's a lot of damage and I almost don't know where to start. He's lost so much blood, use the phone on the wall and call the numbers on the card next to it until someone answers. They're my specialists, they'll know what to do."

Ichigo couldn't breathe, he couldn't stop crying and his breath was fast and shallow. Orihime was doing her best to keep him calm but it wasn't working, she didn't want to interrupt his father or leave him alone but she was getting worried. She picked up her cell and texted Rukia," Come to Kurosaki Clinic fast, this is an emergency!" and hoped the other Shinigami would know what to do.

Ichigo curled into her, she couldn't get him out of the bathroom without help and she'd already called upon Ayame but to no avail since Ichigo wasn't injured," Inoue?" Rukia's voice echoed through the hall.

"In here!" she yelled back, Rukia's footsteps grew louder down the hallway before she came to a stop in the doorway.

"Is he okay?!" she dropped to her knees next to Ichigo.

"He threw up and now he's convulsing and having problems breathing and…" Orihime stammered hysterically.

"But he's not hurt?"

"No, he's just sick and…"

"He's having a panic attack," Rukia put a hand on his shoulder," he's gonna be fine, I'll go ask Isshin what to do," before Orihime could warn her about what Isshin was doing she was gone, leaving Orihime to try and console a still trembling Ichigo. She managed to lay him on his back with his head in her lap, his breathing still fast and labored and tears still flowed from his eyes. He seemed delirious and barely aware she was even there with him.

Rukia came back," Isshin said to give him this," she uncapped the syringe," he said Ichigo might not be able to swallow a pill," she turned Ichigo's arm over and aimed for his deltoid," What the hell happened to Uryuu?" she stood and threw the syringe in a sharps box on the wall.

"I…" Ichigo covered his face with his hands," I st-stabbed him," the words hurt so much even to say them.

"Wha…?"

"His hollow form took over when he fought Ulquiorra and he didn't know what he was doing," Orihime filled her in," it's my fault because I called out for him to save me," a tear slid down her cheek.

"Get him to a bed or a couch," Rukia felt numb as she and Orihime helped Ichigo stand," that'll probably knock him out for a few hours, Ishida should be out of surgery by the time he wakes up."

"Have to—see him," Ichigo's breathing hadn't slowed," tell him—"

"Tell him what?" Orihime asked, Ichigo's real body with Kon in command wandered into the room.

"Have him get back to normal and the medicine will work," Rukia motioned to Kon.

As soon as Ichigo was back in his body he passed out, Rukia sighed," Start calling the others, Aizen is still out there and we're vulnerable right now. We need everyone here in case they come from Hueco Mundo to attack us."

"They wouldn't come from…"

"I'm not taking any chances," Rukia was firm," we've been wrong before."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kisuke sank into a chair next to Ishida's bed in the recovery room, he wasn't sure the boy would live. He was no doctor, but the color had drained from Ishida's face and his lips were almost blue at one point. Isshin had put in a second central line for a blood transfusion and had him on some very powerful sedatives," Go talk to your son and his friends," Kisuke put a hand on the side of the bed," it'll probably be a few hours before he wakes up anyways right?"

"If he wakes up," Isshin rubbed his forehead," Kisuke I'm not sure he's going to wake up."

"I hope he's conscious enough to talk to Ichigo before…"

"Me too, I know he doesn't want that on Ichigo's conscience."

"Ichigo?" he heard a familiar voice near him, someone rubbing his shoulder. His body ached, he opened his eyes and saw his father," Are you awake, son?"

"Uryuu," he said groggily.

"He's in our recovery room," Isshin sat down, Ichigo's heart sank. The only time his father sat down to give him news it was always bad, he'd sat down when he told Ichigo his mother was dead and the memory still haunted him.

"No…"

"He's alive," Isshin reassured him," I have him sedated but he's alive."

"I have to see him," Ichigo sat up.

"Kisuke's with him for now," Isshin studied his face," you weren't injured?"

"No?" Ichigo remembered lying facedown on the ground bloody himself.

"He regenerated like Ulquiorra did," Orihime tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Regenerated?" Isshin looked puzzled.

"Yeah, he has some scrapes and minor injuries but the majority healed up," she sniffled," there was a hole in his chest and…"

"Please, take me to Uryuu," Ichigo groaned and tossed the blanket off him.

"Can I look you over first?" Isshin tried to stop him.

"If he's dy…I want to be with him," Ichigo wiped tears from his eyes.

"Okay," Isshin lead him down the hallway.

The door opened and Ichigo saw the rest of his friends had arrived, he pushed through them to Ishida. He put a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming, Ishida's complexion was ghostly, his glasses off, wires and tubes ran beneath the blankets covering him and monitors beeped. A tube between his lips that Ichigo knew was standard until he started to wake up to make sure he kept breathing, but Ishida already looked dead.

Renji caught him as his legs gave out," Ichigo!" he put his arm under Ichigo's and steadied him.

"I-I did that…?" he reached out and gripped the bedrail until his knuckles turned white. Silence fell over the room," Can I have a minute?"

"Yeah, we need to discuss plans in case Aizen pays us a visit," Rukia ushered everyone out to meet with Yoruichi. Ichigo hadn't even heard their conversation or noticed who else was in the room, all he could think about was he might have killed Ishida.

"Let me check him over again," Isshin motioned for Ichigo to follow his friends," I'll only be a few minutes," Ichigo started to resist but a stern look from his father stopped him.

Isshin checked his vitals and his central line, Ishida's eyes moved beneath their lids," Ishida?" he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. He stirred and tried to lick his lips and met resistance, he bit down and tried to escape whatever was in his mouth," It's okay," Isshin reassured him and gave him another sedative, Ishida's body relaxed. His skin was cold and sweat beaded on his face and neck, Isshin hadn't started on any other scrapes or cuts until now," My son cares about you, so you'd better not die on us," he moved to Ishida's arm and started cleaning a cut," I know more than either of you think and I want you to take care of him for me," Ishida wasn't sure if it was the medicine playing tricks on him or if he was understanding Kurosaki correctly, he let the sedative took hold and he fell asleep. Isshin double-checked his bandages," Ichigo," he called.

"Oi?" Ichigo's footsteps.

"He's still unconscious but he's breathing on his own," Isshin sounded optimistic," Help me take this out?" Ichigo's shaking hands steadied as he helped his father remove the intubation tube," He should wake up in a few minutes, I gave him something to relax him but it won't last too long."

"Thanks dad," Ichigo leaned into him for an embrace.

"I'm doing everything I can for him," Isshin patted his son's back," I know how close you two are," Ichigo was confused for a moment before his dad broke their hug and left.

The room fell silent, except for the whir of the machines. Ichigo wet a cloth and sat next to his friend," Uryuu?" he offered as he wiped sweat from Ishida's forehead.

Ishida could sense Ichigo next to him, his touch warm and soothing. He opened his eyes and saw a blur of orange hair and a gray tank, when his vision cleared he saw Ichigo's eyes were red and swollen.

"Uryuu," he breathed and smiled," you're awake!" the Quincy's head moved restlessly on the pillow.

"Ku—" he started.

"Don't," Ichigo's heart was about to beat out of his chest," I have to tell you something, Ishida I don't care if you're a Quincy and I'm a Soul Reaper, I can't live without you," he squeezed his hand," I don't want to hide these feelings anymore, I'm in love with you," Ishida's eyes widened.


End file.
